Chord progression

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A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, is a series of chords played in order. Chord progressions are central to most modern European-influenced music. Compare to a simultaneity succession. A chord change is a movement from one chord to another and may be thought of as either the most basic chord progression or as a portion of longer chord progressions which involve more than two chords (see shift of level).

Generally, successive chords in a chord progression share some notes, which provides harmonic and linear (voice leading) continuity to a passage. In the common-practice period, chord progressions are usually associated with a scale and the notes of each chord are usually taken from that scale (or its modally-mixed universe).

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[edit] Common progressions

The most common chord progressions, in the common practice period and in popular music, are based on the first, fourth, and fifth scale degrees (tonic, subdominant and dominant); see three chord song, eight bar blues, and twelve bar blues. The chord based on the second scale degree is used in the most common chord progression in Jazz, II-V-I.

The circle of fifths progression is generally regarded as the most common progression of the common practice period, involving a series of descending perfect fifths that often occur as ascending perfect fourths. The circle of fifths makes up many of the most commonly used progressions, such as II6, V, I in major.

[edit] Common progressions used in the common practice period (roughly 1600-1900)

I, i May progress to any other triad. May interrupt any progression.
Major keys Minor keys
ii ii-V, ii-vii6° ii6° ii6°-V
ii* ii-V, ii-vii6°
iii iii-ii6, iii-IV, iii-V, iii-vi III III-ii6°, III-iv, III-VI
IV IV-I, IV-ii, IV-V, IV-vii6° iv iv-i, iv-ii6°, iv-V, iv-VII
IV* IV-V, IV-vii6°
V V-I, V-vi V V-i, V-VI
v* v-VI
vi vi-ii, vi-IV, vi-V, vi-iii-IV VI VI-ii6°, VI-iv, VI-V, VI-III-iv
vii6° vii6°-I, vii6°-V vii6°/VII vii6°-i/VII-III
* ii and IV in minor used with an ascending #6; v in minor used with a descending 7.
See Chord (music)#Quality and Triads for a brief explanation of the notation used in this table.

[edit] Common progressions used in contemporary popular music

  • Twelve-bar blues
  • I - vi - IV - V : the 50s progression
  • I - V - vi - IV : for example 'Dammit' (Blink-182), 'With or Without You' (U2), 'Let It Be' (The Beatles). This progression uses the same chords as the 50s progression, in a different order.
  • I - I - IV - V : for example the verse of 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' by Green Day.

[edit] Rewrite rules

Steedman (1984) has proposed a set of recursive "rewrite rules" which generate all well-formed transformations of jazz, basic I-IV-I-V-I twelve bar blues chord sequences, and, slightly modified, non-twelve-bar blues I-IV-V sequences ("I Got Rhythm").

The original progression may be notated as follows (typical 12-bar blues):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I/I/I/I//IV/IV/I/I//V/V/I/I

Where the numbers on the top line indicate each bar, one slash indicating a bar line and two indicating a phrase marking, and the roman numerals indicating the chord function. Important transformations include

  • replacement or substitution of a chord by its dominant or subdominant:
1 2  3 4   5  6   7    8    9  10 11 12
I/IV/I/I7//IV/VII7/III7/VI7//II7/V7/I/I//
  • use of chromatic passing chords:
...7    8    9...
...III7/bIII7/II7...
  • and chord alterations such as minor chords, diminished sevenths, etc.

Sequences by fourth, rather than fifth, include Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe":

1        2        3 4  5          6       7 8   9         10      11 12
bVi, bIII/bVII, IV/I/I//bVI, bIII/bVII, IV/I/I//bVI, bIII/bVII, IV/I/I//

These often result in Aeolian harmony and lack perfect cadences (V-I). Middleton (1990, p.198) suggests that both modal and fourth-oriented structures, rather than being "distortions or surface transformations of Schenker's favoured V-I kernel, are more likely branches of a deeper principle, that of tonic/not-tonic differentiation."

[edit] References

  • Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). Studying Popular Music. Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-15275-9.
  • Steedman M.J., "A Generative Grammar for Jazz Chord Sequences", Music Perception 2 (1) (1984) 52-77.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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